The Triumph of Orthodoxy in Indonesia One of the rich treasures of the Orthodox Faith is the special service held on the first Sunday of Great Lent every year. On this day, the whole Orthodox Church celebrates the defeat of the heresy of iconoclasm, and the return of the use of Icons in Orthodox churches and homes. More than just the outward presence of icons, however, this special service celebrates the fullness of the Orthodox understanding of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, as it has always understood that it was His unique nature – being fully God and at the same time fully man – that makes iconography such a powerful means of grace for the faithful. This spring, Fr. Kyrillos led a procession with icons at the St. Iona of Manchuria parish in Surabaya City in Indonesia, which inspired the theme of this newsletter. But there is beautiful double meaning in the title: the Orthodox Faith could not be truly triumphant if the Church were not the fully functioning Body of Christ. Merely having an annual

service and proclaiming that the Church has triumphed over its enemies would be a hollow and meaningless proclamation, if the Church were not living out the reality of the incarnation during the other 364 days of the year. The daily life of the Church depicted on these pages lives out in various ways its calling to be the presence of Christ on earth, in the vast and diverse country of Indonesia. So while Sunday of Orthodoxy services that are so integral to the Church calendar and so beloved by Orthodox Christians everywhere are indeed the celebration of the triumph of Orthodoxy, the real triumph can only be seen and understood by looking at the fullness of the entire life of the Orthodox community.

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Friends of Indonesia Newsletter

Winter 2016

Archpriest Gordon Walker of Blessed Memory: Indonesia’s Intercessor Friends of Indonesia exists because of the dedication of two men: Father Daniel Byantoro, who labors tirelessly in Indonesia, and Father Gordon Walker, who intercedes for the faithful in the Kingdom of Heaven. A compassionate and caring pastor, Fr. Gordon was also, perhaps primarily, a passionate missionary. He believed profoundly in and worked tirelessly to promote the saving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His early ministry as a Baptist pastor and his work with Campus Crusade illustrated well that passion for mission. He served churches in the U.S., but also traveled widely in Africa as Campus Crusade's African Affairs Coordinator. After his journey to the Orthodox Church along with his Nashville congregation and a significant number of other former Campus Crusade leaders (Fr. Peter Gillquist, for example), Fr. Gordon continued to work for the spread the Gospel. After his retirement from St. Ignatius in Nashville, he served (full-time!) for 7 years with the Department of Missions and Evangelism of the Antiochian Archdiocese. In the early days of Fr. Daniel’s ministry, Fr. Gordon saw that an organization of Orthodox Christians outside of Indonesia could provide for the support of Fr. Daniel and the work of the Church in that land. He was Friends of Indonesia's chief architect and guiding visionary. Father Gordon, for whom Father Daniel was a close personal friend, served until two years ago as chair of the board of this organization, and upon his retirement, became Chairman Emeritus. That dedication Father Gordon cared deeply about bringing the Gospel has been blessed by God and numbers of people, inspired to those hungry to hear it. He met this maid from by Father Daniel's work and Father Gordon's vision, have Jakarta, a convert from Islam, in 2007. joined in support of the amazing growth of Christ's Church in Indonesia. At FOI, we see ourselves as servants of Christ. But we also understand that we are an important part of Father Gordon's missionary legacy. We are grateful for your own prayers and financial contributions that strengthen our ability to support the Indonesian mission. As a memorial to Father Gordon, we invite you to consider re-committing to this work in which he was so personally invested and which he believed was so vital. We rejoice in knowing that Father Gordon now rests from his labors, but surely he intercedes for us as we continue ours. May the Lord Himself bless you and yours,

Fr. Gregory Mathewes-Green, Pastoral Advisor, Friends of Indonesia

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Friends of Indonesia Newsletter

Winter 2016 / 2017

ADDRESSING THE CULTURE One of the most unique features of Indonesia is its vast diversity of cultures and languages. The country occupies hundreds of islands, and incorporates over 500 recognized, distinct regional languages, certainly a reliable indicator of cultural diversity. The Orthodox Christian faith in its fullness has as its mission the mandate to speak to all of these. The incarnational model for missions as practiced by the Indonesian Orthodox Church embraces each element of this cultural diversity, as Christ Himself embraced humanity. Just over one percent of the population identifies themselves as Chinese, but the Chinese influence on Indonesian life has been a significant factor for hundreds of years. Fr. Daniel Byantoro, the Dean of the Indonesian Orthodox Church, has some Chinese ethnic background on his maternal side. But the cultural celebrations are not an end unto themselves. As is often the case, the Protestant groups have only a very vague sense of the cultural significance of the incarnation, and quite often ask Fr. Daniel to speak on this topic, which he is of course very happy to do. Given their ethnicity and culture as Chinese Indonesians, it is important to them to understand how the Gospel of Christ relates specifically to them and their culture. Does the Gospel mean that they must sacrifice their own cultural distinctives? Of course the Orthodox Church has always taught that the Gospel requires us to re-interpret many cultural practices and perspectives, but does not in most cases mean that they must be rejected. Fr. Daniel is particularly adept at working through this process with the many different ethnic and cultural subgroups that make up the general Indonesian culture.

Above: Father Daniel and other Chinese-Indonesian Orthodox Christians celebrate the Chinese New Year in front of a Chinese “gate.” Below: Fr. Daniel promotes an event at a large Protestant charismatic church, in which he discussed Chinese culture and the Chinese New Year from an Orthodox perspective.

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Friends of Indonesia Newsletter

Winter 2016

A LIFE OF WORSHIP AND PRAYER Fr. Alexios, next to Fr. Daniel, is the most senior priest in the Indonesian Orthodox Church; he has ministered at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Solo for about 30 years. His faithfulness as a Priest in this large and very influential parish have been a major cornerstone of the growth in numbers and in maturity of the Indonesian Orthodox Church during that time. He is truly a living symbol of the Triumph of Orthodoxy in Indonesia.

Above: Father Alexios celebrates the Divine Liturgy at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Solo. Below: Fr. Kyrillos blesses the water in the Theophany service at St. Iona of Manchuria in Surabaya City.

In December 2014, numerous clergy attended a special conference at Holy Trinity Cathedral to deal with the financial and organizational needs of the Indonesian Orthodox Church. As is usually the case, assemblies of this nature take place at this parish, which is the first and “mother” parish of the Indonesian Church. Again, Orthodoxy proclaims its triumph here, in that while this was a gathering for the purpose of tending to the business affairs of the Church, the Divine Liturgy – and not a business meeting – was the indispensable, central event of the gathering. The Orthodox Church is characterized by always being centered on a life of worship and prayer. A few weeks later, in Surabaya City, Fr. Kryillos blessed the water at St. Iona (Jonah) of Manchuria parish. The Orthodox understanding of this event – that Christ went down into the Jordan for the purpose of making the whole physical universe holy – speaks very powerfully of the meaning of the Incarnation, and the Triumph of the Orthodox Faith is celebrated as each drop of this Holy Water is sprinkled on every sort of physical object used in daily life, as well as consumed by the people of God.

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Friends of Indonesia Newsletter

Winter 2016 / 2017

THE CHURCH’S INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL MINISTRIES

The Triumph of Orthodoxy is fulfilled as the Orthodox Church ministers to the individual members of the Body of Christ, not only corporately as during a Divine Liturgy, but also individually, utilizing the many prayers and mysteries of the Church for the specific individual needs of its members. As the Church is comprised of nothing but sinners, we are all in need of the mystery of Confession on a regular basis. Above, Fr. Kyrillos of the Parish of St. Iona (Jonah) of Manchuria hears the confession of a young boy. His posture – the fatherly hand on the boy’s shoulder, as he stoops to hear his words that are no doubt being spoken very softly – is a perfect living icon of the manner in which the Good Shepherd cares for, supports, and shows His love to each of his flock. The Triumph of Orthodoxy is that there is no harshness here, even though he is hearing a confession of sins that have been committed. Rather there is only compassion, tenderness, and great love. Fr. Daniel is particularly popular as a speaker for many Protestant groups in Indonesia, which is quite unusual for an Orthodox priest in any country. Several months ago, he led a seminar at a charismatic Protestant church. Popular topics on which he is often asked to speak include a full theological understanding of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity; the meaning of the Incarnation; practical advice on living the Christian life; and particularly for college-age students, how to defend the Christian faith against verbal attacks from Muslims.

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Winter 2016

Friends of Indonesia Newsletter

ZEAL FOR THE FAITH, EVEN AMID PERSECUTION Orthodoxy is triumphant when its members exhibit a strong and irrepressible drive to practice their faith under adverse circumstances, dedicating a substantial portion of their time and efforts to worship and prayer. At left, Fr. Konstantinos, Dcn. Damaskinos and several parishioners at St. Sergius in Medan are on retreat near Tongging in North Sumatra. Not content with the regular weekly services of the Church, and hungry for a deeper relationship with God, these Orthodox Christians wanted to get away from their normal routines for a short but concentrated few days of worship, prayer and teaching. The men in the small but zealous group on the right are members of the newly formed St. Paraskeva mission in Bandung, West Java. They do not yet have a priest, but they hold a weekly Typica (Reader) service, led by a trained lay leader appointed by Fr. Daniel. They are catechizing new members and potential members, using both written material as well as many videos recorded by Fr. Daniel, who stays in touch regularly with this very enthusiastic group by telephone and email. He and Fr. Boris visit frequently to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, hear confessions, baptize new converts or children, and teach the faith. Being persecuted for their faith is as much a part of the tradition of the Orthodox Church as any service or doctrine. The Head of the Church, Jesus Christ, was after all tortured and killed for teaching the truth about God, so naturally we who are His disciples can claim no exemption. Indonesia is nearly 90% Muslim, and with its population of nearly 250 million, it is the largest Muslim country in the world. The particular form of Islam practiced in Indonesia is for the most part tolerant of other religions, and many Muslim Indonesians are proud of their religious tolerance. But there is no guarantee that things will remain this peaceful. In fact, some of the most vicious forms of intolerance are directed at minority Muslim sects. From time to time, in one region or another, a more radical form is Islamic intolerance will take hold, and Christians all over Indonesia are regularly ridiculed for their faith. So the Orthodox Church is ever vigilant, and works hard to cooperate with other religious groups to try to retain as much religious liberty as possible. Fr. Daniel makes a point out of being a conspicuous spokesperson for religious freedom. Recently, he attended a meeting of Christian and other minority religious groups at an Islamic Center, as well as a special meeting of the National Council of Churches, called specifically to address an increase in religious intolerance. Nowhere is the Triumph of Orthodoxy more prominent than when the Church understands that persecution for its faith is a privilege, if one is called to endure it. 6

Friends of Indonesia Newsletter

Winter 2016 / 2017

PARISHIONER PROFILE: JOHANNES SANJAYA Johan Sanjaya was born in 1982, in the small rural village of Grobogan, in Central Java, Indonesia. His father was an elementary school teacher, as well as a very devout Buddhist, and also a religious teacher in the local Buddhist temple. His mother had been raised as a Muslim, but in reality did not practice any particular religion. He had a sister, and an older brother who died in childhood from complications from asthma. Indonesia requires all citizens to register as adherents of one of five major religions, and his father’s parents were adherents of traditional Javanese mysticism, which was not one of the “official” religions of Indonesia, so they registered as Buddhists, and Johan’s father grew up to be a devout Buddhist. Johan saw his father practicing his Buddhist faith daily. He did not lecture him about Buddhism, but rather taught him by his own personal example. He learned from his father’s example to be generous, and to be hospitable to everyone. Twice a day he would meditate facing a single small statue of the Buddha. Three or four times each week he would go to the Buddhist temple, which was very close to their home. The vast majority of Indonesians are Muslim, Johan grew up surrounded by Muslims, and had no real problems getting along with his school friends and neighbors who were Muslims. He had absolutely no exposure to Christianity in his early years. As the son of one of the leaders of the local Buddhist temple, Johan attended services at the temple frequently, and at age 8 or 9, he became president of the local Buddhist youth group. While this may have been a reflection on his devotion to his faith, it was also undoubtedly an early sign of his natural leadership abilities. When it came time for him to make plans for high school, his parents wanted him to get a better education than he could have obtained in rural Grobogan. He applied to a prestigious Christian school in Salatiga, and was accepted. But rather go to live in a new city alone, he and his parents decided that he could move instead to Solo (also known as Surakarta), a large city about two hours away, where he could live with a cousin who was about his father’s age. In God’s providence, this cousin was Fr. Alexios, a former Buddhist who had become an Orthodox Christian priest. Now at age 16, his first exposure to Christianity was through his relationship with Fr. Alexios, who was to become a major influence on the direction of Johan’s life. Johan enrolled in the local public school, where attending a religion class was mandatory. As there were few if any Buddhists in the area, his only two choices for religion class were Islam and Christianity. And since he had never before had any exposure to Christianity, he decided to take the class on Christianity as his religion class. He remembers coming home every day to discuss with Fr. Alexios what he had learned in class that day. And since there were no nearby Buddhist temples, he attended Orthodox services with Fr. Alexios. This period of Johan’s life was one of major new discoveries about religion, but also of deep personal reflection about his own beliefs.

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Johan found himself very comfortable with many aspects of Orthodox Christian spirituality that shared similar values (although for different reasons) with Buddhism. Chief among these was a strong emphasis on the importance of love in relationship to others, and in living a moral and upright life as a reflection of the nature of God. As Buddhists also make use of iconography, incense and candles in worship, those elements that are often a stumbling block to non-Orthodox were actually reassuring to Johan. But the clear call to a personal relationship with the God-man Jesus Christ was a huge problem, because it was clearly incompatible with the reverence he had be taught to display to the Buddha. After a couple of months in Solo with Fr. Alexios, learning about Orthodox Christianity and feeling the call into a personal relationship with Jesus, Johan became emotionally stressed by the tension, and tried to run away. He left school mid-term in Solo and returned home to Grobogan, where he pretended not to be interested in religion at all. But his attempt to escape was futile. His father was embarrassed that he had simply left school mid-term, and that he had rejected the hospitality of his cousin, Fr. Alexios. After two weeks, it became very clear to Johan that God was leading him to return to Solo, which he did. To his amazement, even though the school should have expelled him, they allowed him to return to classes as though nothing had happened. He took this as a further sign that God wanted him to learn more about the Orthodox Christian faith, and began studying seriously under the leadership of Fr. Alexios. Eventually Fr. Alexios asked him if he wanted to be baptized, and he was, taking the baptismal name of the Apostle John (“Johannes.”) Even though the name sounds similar to his birth name of Johan, the two names are not linguistically related.

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After graduating from high school Johannes took a job in Solo as a driver, and he began serving in the Orthodox Church with Fr. Alexios daily. He also traveled as an assistant and driver for Fr. Alexios, whose parish ministry took him frequently to other cities in Central Java and other parts of Indonesia. In 2006, he was blessed to become a Reader, and he has served with quite a number of Indonesia Orthodox clergy, including Fr. Marcos, Fr. Boris, Fr. Alexander, and Fr. Kirilos.

Another major turning point in his life – and in the life of the Indonesian Orthodox Church – took place in 2012. A number of Orthodox youth from the ROCOR churches in Australia came to Indonesia, and Fr. Daniel Byantoro, the Dean of the ROCOR Orthodox Church in Indonesia, called a small meeting of Indonesian Orthodox youth to meet with their Australian counterparts. At that meeting, Fr. Daniel challenged the Indonesian youth to plan a much larger national youth retreat for the next summer, 2013. Accepting Fr. Daniel’s challenge, the Indonesian Orthodox youth formed themselves into an organization that took the name “ha na'arim” (Hebrew for “the youth”) and the natural leader Johannes was elected President. They began immediately to work on a national conference to be held near Jakarta in July of 2013. After than first conference, Johannes took another major step by leaving Indonesia to study in the US at the ROCOR seminary in Jordanville, New York, where he has been living and studying for the last year and half. Johannes is certain that he wants to return to Indonesia and serve the Orthodox Church, but he is not at all certain in what capacity God wants to use him. He knows that an Orthodox theological education will certainly be of great value no matter what he does. Although the seminary in Jordanville operates in a monastic setting, he does not believe that he has been called to the monastic life, and would like to marry and have a family as God provides.Life at seminary has not been easy. He has struggled to learn two new languages simultaneously – English, because he is in the US, and Russian, because most classes are taught in Russian. There are all the usual awkward difficulties of getting used to two new and very different cultures as well. But as difficult as his daily life can be, Johannes states that the practice of Orthodox prayer, and the richness of the Orthodox services as they are served very day, has come to mean far more to him as the theory of the classroom. He believes that the seminary experience is God’s way of teaching him patience, perseverance and discipline, and looks forward to being able to return to Indonesia and serve God through serving the people of the Orthodox Church of Indonesia.